Conveying powdered material



March 30, 1943. E. D. REEVES CONVEYING POWDERED MATERIAL Original Filed July 17, 1939 lllllflll n 0 Y E V M o c Patented Mar. 30, 1943 T OFFICE:

CONVEYING rownmmn MATERIAL Edward D. Reeves, Cranford, N. J., assignor to Standard Oil Development Company, a corporation of Delaware Original application July 17, 1939, Serial No. 284,892. Divided and this application July 24, 1941, Serial No. 403,826

. I 4 Claims. This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 284,892 filed July 17, 1939.

' terial which flows concurrently with the maherial undergoing treatment or conversion. One method of operation employs feed means for the powdered adsorbent material into the material undergoing treatment, comprising a screw conveyor. However, when a powdered adsorbent material is directly fed by a screw conveyor into a flowing stream of say vaporized hydrocarbon material,

there is imminent danger that the screw conveying feeding mechanism may become coated and clogged with gum-like, tarry or cokey material formed from the said hydrocarbon material and thus impaired in its operation.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus adapted to feed a powdered adsorbent material, such as a powdered catalyst into a reactable material, such as a hydrocarbon oil, in

such a manner that there is no clogging or plugging of the feed means due to tarry or coke deposits and consequently a free flow of adsorbent material into the reactable material is provided.

Another and more-specific object of this invention is to provide means for dispersing or suspending a powdered adsorbent material, such as' powdered clay, pumice. silica gel, plural gels and the like, in a gas, such as nitrogen, hydrogen, steam, flue gas, carbon dioxide or the like or mixtures of these and then injecting this dispersion into a flowing stream of reactable material, such as a hydrocarbon oil. The above objects are attained by apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a combined conveying means of a horizontal feed injection apparatus;

- Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section, taken between the lines 11-11 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line"I V-IV of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals refere to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the'principal elements of the device consist of a screw conveyor 1 or some similar device, a cylinder or block 2 containinga dispersing chamber in which a solid adsorbent material, such as pumice, is dispersed in a gas such as steam and an injector 3 in which the dispersed material is fed into a stream of hydrocarbon material. The assembly is supported by legs or standards I, 5 and 6. The adsorbent material is introduced into the system from hopper 1 which is provided with valve means 8 or some similar device. The shaft 9 or the screw It carries a tightly mounted pulley -|l adapted to be driven by a motor or the like.

The construction'and arrangement of the dispersing chamber is shown most advantageously in Fig. 2 from which it will be observed that the discharge end of conveyor I is housed in a cap or closure member 20 and forms With'the casing of the conveyor within said cap, an annular space 2| into which projects a pipe or other fluid conduit means 22 adapted to conduct a gas, 01' the character, previously referred to, into said annular space. Gas introduced under a positive pressure into annular space 2| is forced into'the interior of the conveyor I through openings or ports 23. These ports are inclined from the vertical and are disposed, a short distance from the end 'oi the conveyor casing. The block or cylinder 2 is in screw-threaded engagement with cap 20. The bore of the block 2 forming the dispersing chamber 25 is substantially frusto-conical in shape, its greater diameter being substantially that of the internal diameter. of the conveyor casing. As shown, the inner face of the block which contains the dispersing chamber abuts the discharge end of the conveyor casing and cap 20 is welded to the casing of the conveyor at 26 while block 2 is welded to the cap 20 at 21. The block 2 need not be cylindrical but may have other forms At the discharge end of chapter 25, the internal diameter of the same is relatively small. That is to say, it may be substantially to the internal diameter of the greatest diameter of the chamber 25. A bushing 28 projects into the block 2 and through it a pipe 29 also of bore size pipe 29 and pipe 3| forms an injection means.

It will be understood thatinstead of using the injector shown, any known means for mixing two fluid streams may be employed, the only requirement being that the fluid dispersion be under sufiicient positive pressure to prevent the reactable material entering pipe 35, in the modifiduct the mixture of reactable material and the dispersion away from the dispersion chamber after the confluence of the streams. .The tapered end 29a of pipe 29 projects within the flared I or splayed end 34 a o f pipe *34 forming an annular space 36. Pipe 34' is secured in position in T 30 by bushing 32. Suitable washers or gaskets may be provided in known 'manner to. effect a seal against the escapeof fluid as re-' quired.

In the operation of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4,-steam, hydrogen, nitrogen, methane or some similar gas is introduced into chamber 2| through pipe 22 and from there the gas passes into the interior of .conveying means. I through ports 23 where it admixes with the powdered clay, pumice or the like andsdue to its pressure forces the powdered material into chamber 25 .where it is maintained in suspension in the gas by the high velocity ofthe gas. It will be imderstocd that the number of ports 23 may be greater or less than the nu'mbershown in the cation shown; from moving in the direction of the end of the screw conveyor. v,ilnotl'ier, words, the injection means shown could be-replaced by two pipes-joined together and adapted to con- 10.

It will'be recognized by those-skilled in the present art that the inventive novelty herein invlved is not limited to the precise details of construction described heretofore and illustrated in the drawing and that numerous modifications falling within the spirit of the invention will be readily apparent to those familiar, with devices of, the character described g "rene 1. In a feeding mechanism of the character described, the combination with an injection means for introducing reactants of a block having a bore extending through said block, said bore being ofgreatly reduced internal diameter at one end thereof, closure means for closing theend of the bore opposite the end of reduced diameter forming a chamber, a screw conveyor having a casing communicating with said chamber andi'orming anann'ular space with said closure means, ports'in said casing disposed in close proximity to the discharge end of said conveyor and eifecting communication between said i annular space and the interior of. said casing,

drawing. Also the arrangement of the ports 23 around the conveyor 'caslng niay' extend over a j lesser arc-than" the circumference, for example,

they may be located only in theiowerhalf of the conveyor casing. The ports may be located 7 at a distance from the end of the screw conveyor determined with reference to other features of.

the installation. The preferred location *of the g ports is just behind the discharge end of the screw. a

The pressure of the gas maintained in chamber willvary depending onnumerous' factors but,

in order to disperseeflicientlyj a powdered material having" a size such that "all oi itwill pass through a 100-200 meshscreen, the size of ports 23 is-of an order such that a pressure drop of 10 to lbs. takes place w e s. is forced a through them. The actualgas' pressures depend on the degree of subdivision of the powdered a, conduit for supplying a gas in communication with said annular space, and a conduit oi! relatively small internal diameter connecting the chamber with the said injection means.

2.. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the ports are symmetrically disposed about the circumference of the conveyor casing.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the conduit connecting-thechamber and 'the injection means has a diameter substantially equal to'the diameter of the bore at its smaller end.

p 4. A feeding mechanisrnof the character described including in combination a block having a bore extending therethrough to form a chamher, said bore being tapered and having a reduced diameter atone end thereof forming the outlet from said chamber, closure means attached to said block opposite the outlet end thereof, a screw conveyor for conducting powdered material to said chamber and having a casing extending through said closure means,

said casingcommunicating with said chamber,

material, the dimensions of the portsiandfother factors.

The powdered material 1' dispersed in the gas said casing forming an annular space with said closure, means, said casing being provided .with ports adjacent the discharge end of said conveyorand efiecting communication between said annular space and the interior of said casing, means, for supplying gas to said annular space,

an injection means and a conduit of small diameter connecting the outlet end of the chamber with said injection means, said injection means having; an inletior fluid reactants and an outlet;for the mixture f reactance and powdered material. i

I EDWARD D. REEVES. 

